I think this may be the most entertaining Jumbo crossword I’ve had the pleasure of blogging. Packed full of amusing and inventive wordplay and deceptive definitions, it was, I think, significantly harder than usual, taking me about 1 1/4 hours compared to my usual 35-45 minutes. Between drafting the blog and finishing it for publication one of the best clues, 21A, reappeared in almost identical form in this Tuesday’s daily cryptic, prompting some comments about having seen it before recently. Was it the same setter, perhaps?
My copy is littered with approving ticks and questionmarks that I had to resolve for the blog. It’s hard to pick a favourite, and I did like 16A a lot, but I will go for 53A, which took me the longest to parse. Great stuff! More like this please, editor! How did everyone else get on?
Definitions underlined in bold italics, (Abc)* indicating anagram of Abc, deletions and [] other indicators.
| Across | |
| 1 | Atmosphere in the centre fairly lively (9) |
| SPRIGHTLY – Middle letters [in the centre] of AtmoSPhere RIGHTLY (fairly). | |
| 6 | Secretary’s dogs must cross the high road (2,7,4) |
| ST BERNARD PASS – PA’S (secretary’s) inside ST BERNARDS (dogs) [must cross] . | |
| 13 | Note twelve old pennies could make one wealthy! (5) |
| NABOB – N (note) A BOB (a shilling; twelve old pennies). Nice surface and sneaky definition. | |
| 14 | As key policy expert, perhaps, recalled for wisdom (9) |
| KNOWLEDGE – E.G. (for example; as) DEL (delete; key) WONK (policy expert) [recalled]. I was slightly surprised at “policy expert”, but this dictionary definition uses “policy” in the example sentence. | |
| 15 | Roundabout, or what looks like one, desolate, we understand (7) |
| OBLIQUE – O (circular letter; what looks like a roundabout) BLIQUE sounds like [we understand] BLEAK (desolate). Inventive clueing of O. | |
| 16 | Bothered by “intervertebral”, I , with a loaf that’s poor? (1,4,2,4,6,5) |
| A BEAR OF VERY LITTLE BRAIN – Winnie the Pooh, said “I am a bear of very little brain and long words bother me”. Very clever getting “loaf” into the anagrist. It’s (by intervertebral I a loaf)* [poor]. | |
| 18 | Rake nearly ready a month before start of autumn (8) |
|
CASANOVA – CAS |
|
| 20 | Happen to regret following space traveller (4,4) |
| COME TRUE – RUE (regret) following] COMET (space traveller). | |
| 21 | Take the 4×4 across the channel (5) |
| SEIZE – 4×4 = 16. Across the channel in France 16 = SEIZE. Beaut! | |
| 23 | Oily stuff’s running to the left of me (6) |
| SMARMY – RAMS (stuffs) reversed [running to the left] -> SMAR, MY (of me). | |
| 24 | Not moving theatre’s two shows (2,4) |
| AT REST – Hidden [shows] in theATRE’S Two. Nice deception with the “two shows”. | |
| 25 | An element of love, quiet reflecting, is a must, somehow (9) |
| POTASSIUM – O (love) P (quiet) [reflecting] ->PO, (is a must)* [somehow]. | |
| 28 | Speeding impressively thus, for all to see, and being arrested (10) |
| SUPERSONIC – SIC (this), outside [arrested] U (for all to see; film classification) PERSON (being). | |
| 29 | Killer is nonracial, which is oddly overlooked (4) |
| ORCA – Alternate letters of [oddly overlooked] nOnRaCiAl. An orca is aka a killer whale. | |
| 30 | Spaniard possibly to win nothing when chasing gold (7) |
| ORLANDO – LAND (win) O (nothing), after [when chasing] OR (gold). | |
| 32 | The idiot that is His Majesty the King touring capitals (7) |
| SCHMUCK – SC (scilicet; that is) HM (His Majesty) K (the King) outside [touring] UC (upper case; capitals). A trans-atlanticism. | |
| 34 | Grand welcome for Lent (4) |
| GAVE – G (grand) AVE (roman greeting; welcome). Ignore that deceptive capital L. | |
| 35 | Teams go off for each leg next to the other (4-6) |
| SIDE-SADDLE – SIDES (teams) ADDLE (go off). The riding position. | |
| 38 | Supporter going on about a previously successful team (3-6) |
| CUP-HOLDER – UPHOLDER (supporter) after [going on] C (circa; about). | |
| 39 | Came down in a red convertible (6) |
| RAINED – (in a red)* [convertible]. | |
| 40 | Piping tune — or just words? (3,3) |
| HOT AIR – HOT (piping hot) AIR (tune). | |
| 43 | Norwegian lake you can evidently cross by car? (5) |
| ROALD – L (lake) with ROAD outside it. My LOI, being misled into looking for a Norwegian lake, as our setter intended, I suspect. I don’t think this works except, perhaps, as a sort of cryptic definition. Can anyone explain it better? | |
| 45 | Sailors putting their heads together plot something very different (8) |
| OPPOSITE – PO (Petty Officer; sailor) twice (sailors) [putting their heads together] -> OPPO, SITE (plot; building site). Very tricky! | |
| 47 | Means, indeed, always to include five reservists at sea (4,4) |
| WAVY NAVY – WAY (means) NAY (indeed) both [always] including [to include] V (five in roman numerals) -> WAVY NAVY, nickname of the Royal Naval Reserve Volunteer Reserve on account of the rank stripes (rings) on officers sleeves being wavy rather than straight. | |
| 49 | Poem of old incorporated in poster for literary lass’s dance? (3,6,2,7,4) |
| THE BALLAD OF READING GAOL – O (old) [incorporated in] THE BALL (dance) AD (poster) READING GAL (literary lass). Hmm. A bit of poetic licence with inclusion of the THE? The poem is by Oscar Wilde. I expect you knew that, but I didn’t. I’m not even sure how I remembered the title. | |
| 52 | Sun’s now all we’re aware of in garden? (7) |
| WEEKEND – KEN (all we’re aware of) [in] WEED (garden; dig up the weeds). “Sun’s now”… another devious definition. | |
| 53 | One’s online business, something tiny, picked up (9) |
| DOTCOMMER – Sounds like [picked up] DOT (something tiny) COMMA (,).Very sneaky. | |
| 54 | Look for a bite in the end to eat: bagel (5) |
| TROLL – [end to] eaT, ROLL (bagel). A bagel is also slang for a score of 6-0 in a set at tennis, I see. | |
| 55 | Such as honey, and ducks? (5,8) |
| SWEET NOTHINGS – SWEET (honey) NOTHINGS (ducks). A nice &lit. | |
| 56 | Wind one’s papa up with hoax (9) |
| SAXOPHONE – (one’s P (Papa in the NATO alphabet) hoax)* [up]. Wind for a wind instrument has come up before.The answer has nothing to do with “wind up”, of course! | |
| Down | |
| 1 | Native American ceremonies can send US crazy (3,6) |
| SUN DANCES – (can send US)* [crazy]. | |
| 2 | Pass pack down after bridge match? (6,5) |
| RUBBER STAMP – STAMP (pack down) [after] RUBBER (bridge match). | |
| 3 | Much-married actress a gift to the loquacious men (5) |
| GABOR – GAB (a gift to the loquacious) OR (Other Ranks; men). Zsa Zsa Gabor was, I see, married 9 times! | |
| 4 | Break off — score fifteen subsequently? (4,4) |
| TAKE FIVE – Some more clever wordplay. If you TAKE FIVE off 20 (score) you [subsequently] get 15. | |
| 5 | Farmers once needing possible six-month forecast? (6) |
| YEOMEN – First half of YEar (possible six-month) OMEN (forecast). YE for six-months… I like it. | |
| 6 | A bomb, but hardly a smart one? (5,5) |
| SILLY MONEY – Definition and a cryptic hint. | |
| 7 | What to tell children of plot by politician (7,5) |
| BEDTIME STORY – BED (plot in the garden) TIMES (by) TORY (politician). | |
| 8 | One who’s sore maybe after kicking small log over (2-5) |
|
RE-ENTER – RE |
|
| 9 | Above supervisors, I note, revelling in promotion (14) |
| AFOREMENTIONED – FOREMEN (supervisors) (I note)* [revelling] [in] AD (promotion). | |
| 10 | Girl of 14’s seen at party (7) |
| DOLORES – LORE’S (14A’s; knowledge’s) after DO (party). | |
| 11 | What’s got Parisian who is roused into fighting? (11) |
| ACQUISITION – QUI (Parisian who) IS [roused] -> SI [into] ACTION (fighting). | |
| 12 | Police force has turned up to make arrest (4) |
| STEM – MET’S (police force has) [turned up]. | |
| 17 | Potter’s mate hire men, especially to hold wheel? (8) |
| HERMIONE – (hire men)* [especially] [to hold] O (circular letter; wheel). Harry Potter’s mate, that is. | |
| 19 | Rome’s top nun men round on never-endingly (6,3) |
| NUMERO UNO – Drop last letters [never endingly] of NUn MEn ROUNd On. | |
| 22 | Journalist’s copy — way superior (8) |
| STRINGER – RINGER (copy; dead ringer) with ST (street; way) on top [superior]. | |
| 25 | One’s hypocritical praise he rubbished (8) |
| PHARISEE – (praise he)* [rubbished]. Referring to Matthew Ch23Vv13-15. | |
| 26 | Girl, thanks to your rearing, is naturally a bounder! (9) |
| SALTATORY – SAL (girl) TA (thanks) TO YR (your) [rearing] -> RY. | |
| 27 | Rubbish article, carelessly written over and over, is a wake-up call! (4-1-6-3) |
| COCK-A-DOODLE-DOO – I bet you biffed this one. Well I did and now I have to explain it. It’s COCK (rubbish) A (article) DOODLE (carelessly written) DO (ditto; over) O (over). | |
| 28 | Has CD, so runs new feature of Windows operating system (4,4) |
| SASH CORD – A bit of a cheeky definition. The answer has nothing to do with computers, of course. (Has CD so r)* [new]. | |
| 31 | Occasionally, Oscar’s opening pianissimo, in English and in French (5,2,5) |
| EVERY SO OFTEN – A russian doll wordplay. O (Oscar in NATO phonetic Alphabet) inside [opening] VERY SOFT (pianissimo), all inside E (English) and EN (in, in French). Lovely. | |
| 33 | Sportswoman with husband permitted to visit trendy gallery (11) |
| HEPTATHLETE – H (husband) LET (permitted) inside [to visit] HEP (trendy) TATE (gallery). | |
| 36 | Being history of French girl: tragic suicide attempt maybe coming to nothing (4,2,1,4) |
| DEAD AS A DODO – Another amusing definition. DE (of in French) ADA (girl) SAD (tragic) OD (overdose; suicide attempt maybe) O nothing. | |
| 37 | Champion can be harsh without turning corrupt (10) |
| VICTORIOUS – VICIOUS (harsh) outside [without] ROT (corrupt) [turning] -> TOR. | |
| 41 | Boys spent unwisely, we hear? A shade (5,4) |
| ROYAL BLUE – ROY, AL (boys) BLEW (spent unwisely) [we hear] -> BLUE. | |
| 42 | Caretaker’s raised team right after New Year’s Day (8) |
| JANITRIX – XI (eleven; team) RT (right) [raised] -> TRIX [after] JAN I (New Year’s Day). A new word on me. | |
| 44 | Noble reference that would appear had better be drastically reversed (7) |
| DEBRETT – [reversed] hidden [that would appear] in beTTER BE Drastically. Debrett’s Peerage reference book can be found here. | |
| 46 | Begin to go through scale model with this? (4-3) |
| PLAY-DOH – Cryptic definition. If you go through a scale on your instrument, you will play the tonic (Doh) first. Very funny. | |
| 48 | Greek island’s conveniently laid on medics (6) |
| PATMOS – PAT (conveniently) [on] M.OS (medics). A rare meaning for PAT. | |
| 50 | Costume to show a leg? (3-2) |
| GET-UP – Double definition. | |
| 51 | Weight having gone up, needing very large braces (4) |
| TWOS – WT (weight) [having gone up] -> TW, OS (Outsize; very large). Lovely surface to finish with. | |
Otherwise it wouldn’t be that cryptic …
FGBP